Poration



April 9, 1929. l G, T, RQNK 1,708,281

SKIIMER ATTACHMENT FOR EXCAVATORS Filed Aug. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllllllI/IIL IIIIIILIIIIIII 7 April 9, 1929. G. T. RONK 1,708,281

SKIMMER ATTACHMENT FOR EXCAVATORS Filed Aug. 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet '3 Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. RONK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOW'A, ASSIGNOR TO SPEEDER MACHINERY COR- PORATION, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

SKIMMER ATTACHMENT FOR EXCAVATORS.

Application filed. August 1, 1927.

The object of my invention is to provide a skimmer attachment for excavators of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, particularly adapted to be attached to, and oper- 5 ated in connection with, that type of ditching machines having a boom and mechanism for elevating and lowering the free end of the boom.

More specifically it is the object of my in- 1 vention to provide what I shall term a skimmer boom designed to be supported in a substantially horizontal position, or in position parallel to the finished surface of the ground being operated upon, and to provide in con- 13 nection with the boom a bucket adapted to travel longitudinally of the same, and to be filled as it is brought into engagement with the ground surface and moved longitudinally of the boom in one direction.

A further object is to provide a skimmer attachment having a bucket desi ned to move longitudinally of the boom and to provide means whereby the bucket may be elevated and moved to a suitable position where it may be dumped, and to provide in connection therewith means whereby the dumping may be accomplished when the bucket is in any of its various positions of movement relative to the boom.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemrdated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and :13 illustrated in the accom anying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavator showing the manner in which my improved skimmer attachment is applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the skimmer bucket and the carriage for supporting the same.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

The numeral indicates an excavator truck having the crawler type tread 11. The truck 10 is provided with an excavator platform 12 to which is pivotally connected gallows 13. The upper end of the gallows 13 is provided with a pulley 16. The platform 12 is also provided With a cable drum 17 adapted Serial No. 209,801.

to be operated in either direction. The mechanism for operating the drum 17 is not lllustrated, inasmuch as it forms no part of my present invention.

My improved device comprises what I shall term a skimmer boom 18, having one end mounted on pivot members 19 which are preferably in alinement with the pivot center of the drum 17. The boom 18 comprises a pair of I-beams 20 spaced apart and connected by means of suitable frame members 21. The said frame members 21 have flanges 22 for receiving rivets 23, by means of which the I-beams are secured thereto. The outer end of the boom 18 is provided with a frame member 24 having an upwardly and rearwardly extending member 25 to which a pulley block 26 is connected. The said pulley block is supported by means of a cable 27, one end of which is connected to the gallows 13 by means of a bolt 28, and the opposite end extends over the pulley 16 and operated by the drum 29, which is also mounted on the alatform 12. This provides means whereby the free end of the boom 18 may be supported at any desired angle relative to the ground surface, and also provides means whereby the boom 18 may be moved to an inclined positlon, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.

For supporting the skimmer bucket in such manner that it may be moved longitudinally of the boom 18, I have provided a carriage 30 comprising a bed plate 31, having upright plates 32 which serve as side members. The plates 32 are secured to the plate 31 by angle irons 33 and suitable rivets. The plate/s13; are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the boom 18, so the said boom may pass between the plates. The plates connected by means of transversely arranged shafts 31 and 35, the shaft 34 bein designed to pass above the boom 18 whilz the shaft 35 is mounted to travel below the said boom. The shaft 34 is mounted in the forward ends of the plates 32 and the shaft 35 in the rear ends of the said plates.

The shaft 3% is provided with suitable roilers 36 for traveling on the top surface of the I-beams 20, and the shaft 35 is provided with rollers 37 for engaging the under surface of said I-beams. A shaft 38 is mounted in the plates 32 above the shaft 35 and above the beams 20. Each end of the shaft 38 has a contr cted portion 39 formed eccentrically with the member 38, and is rotatively mounted in the plates '32. One of: the members 39 is provided with a lever and a nut 41 for securing the same in position. The said lever 40 provides means for rotating the shaft 38,, said shatt having rollers 42 which travel on the tops of the Lbeams. A shat't 43, similar to the sl aft 38, is also provided in the plates 32 and below the shatt 3d and the I-beams. Said shalt 4L3 has rollers as designed to engage the under surface of the Lbeams 20 and a lover 41:3 for rotating the sha-tt l3. The outer ends of the lovers ll) and have slots elf? for receiving set screws 47.

By this arrangement it will be seen thatthe rollers 42 may l: adjusted toward and from the rollers 37, and the rollers .tt adjusted toward and from the rollers 36. This pro vides means whereby the said rollers may be adjusted to the beams 20 in such a manner as to prevent any vibration between the said rollers and the beams as the bucket, hereinal'ter described, is advanced through the ground.

The frame member 24 is provided with a pulley 48 for receiving a cable 49, one end of which is attached to the member 31 by means of a suitable bracket 50, and has its central portion wound on the drum 1? and its opposite end secured to a bracket 51, also n'iounted on the plate 31. Thus it will. be seen that it the drum 17 is rotated in one direction, the carriage 30 may be moved toward the forward end of the boom, and it the drum 17 is rotated in the opposite direction, then the carriage will be moved toward the rear end ot the boom through the cable 49.

The forward end of the plate 31 is provided with downwardly extending arms 52 designed to receive between them a bucket member 53, which comprises a bottom plate plate 54 and side plates The plates 55 are secured to the arms by means ot detachable pivot members 56. The forward end ot the plate has a series of: teeth 57, while the back ed i. of the plates are inclined upwardly and forwardly. he pivot members 56 are mounted in the forward edge oi the plates so that the rear end of the bucket member may swing through an angle of substantially .90". The plate 54 rests normally substantially parallel with the plate 31.

The bucket member is supported in its normal position by means of a bail 58, having a transverse member 59 supported above the upper edges of the side portions 55. Each end ot the member 59 terminates in downwardly extending portions 60. Each. of the portions ()0 is provi ed with preferably three s of bolts 1, 2 and (33. The plates 55 are provided. with holes 64 for receiving said bolts. The holes (3% are arranged in groups of three, each group being drilled in a circular line, having its center in the pivot 56, so that the angle 03'. the plates as well as the plate 54-, may be varied without elevating or lowering the bail 58. The bail 58 is supported by means of a bar 65 projecting a notch 66 to form what I shall term a latch book 67, designed to extend upwardly through an opening 68 in the plate 31, and to be supported in said position by means of a latch (39 slidably mounted in a bracket 70. Said bracket is also supported on the plate 31. The latch (39 is designed to be supported crossways ot the carriage. p

For actuating the latch, I. have provided in the frame members 21 downwardly extend lug brackets 71. designedto rotatively receive a rock shaft 72, said shaft being of a length substantially equal to the length of the-beam, and having its rear end provided with a lever 73 by means of which the shaft 72 may be rocked. One of the side plates 32 is provided with inwardly extending brackets 74, which have their inner ends terminating in enlarged portions 75 for rotatively receiving collars 76, each of which is provided with a square hole for receiving the rock shaft- 72, which is also square in cross section. The brackets is are so mounted that as the carriage is moved along the boom, the collar 76 will slide freely on the shaft 72. The brackets 74 are spaced apart a slight distance so that an arm 77 may be mounted between them and slidably mounted on the shaft 72. The lower end ot the arm 77 terminates in a bifurcated portion 7 8. Each or the sides of the member 78 has notches 7 9 for receiving pins 80 pro jccting outwardly from the latch-(59,the st id latchbeing mounted between the side members 78. A spring 81 is provided for retaining: the latch in a closed position.

By this arrangement it will be seen that it the lever 73 is operated, then the shaft 72 will rocked, which in turn will cause the lever t l to be moved toward the left, as v ewed in Figure 3, causing); the latch 69 to disengage the latch hook 67. This will permit the rear end of the bucket member to drop to an inclincd position, so that any material within the bucket will be emptied through the rear open end thereof by gravity.

The bucket may be broughtto its closed po..- sition by lowering the boom and permitting the lower end of the bucket to engage the ground surface at the time the bucket is moved inwardly. This will cause the free end of the bucket to be moved upwardly toward the boom and the member 65 to engage the latch 69.

For closing the rear end of the bucket when in its closedposition, I have provided a back a plate 82, which is supported'by Suitable castings 83, which have their upper ends pivotally connected to the under side. of the rear end ot the plate 31, by means of brackets 84. The upper end of each of the members 83 is provided with reamvardly extending portions 85 for receiving set screws 86 and bolts 87. The set screws are mounted in the rear end of the brackets 84. This provides means whereby the angle of the plate 82 may be varied so that the said plate 82 may be made to fit the beveled ends of the plates 55 when in their various inclined positions, as provided by the bolts 61, 62 and 63 and the openings 64, thus providing means whereby the rear end of the bucket will always be tightly closed, regardless of its various angular positions of adjustment. The rear ends of the members 55 are inclined to permit the said rear edges to travel freely from the plate 82 as the bucket is being dumped.

By inclining the plate 82 upwardly and forwardly when the said bucket is in a horizontal position, means is provided whereby the material within the bucket will be freely discharged when the boom 18 is moved to the inclined position shown in Figure 1, in which case it will be seen that the plate 82 is then in substantially a vertical position.

Thus it will be seen that by the proper manipulation of the drum- 17, the bucket may be made to travel longitudinally of the boom, and the surface being excavated will be cut smooth and parallel with the boom, thereby providing means whereby the predetermined inclination may be easily provided in the bottom of ditches or road grades.

The device is also particularly adapted to perform the function of a back filler for ditches, the free end of the boom being supported over the ditch to be filled and the bucket moved from the inner end of the boom to the outer end, causing the dirt to be advanced ahead of the bucket. However, when the device is to be used as a back filler the bucket member 53 is removed by removing the pins 56 and a suitable back filler blade is sub stituted for the bucket, which is supported on the arms 52 by the pins 56. The back plate 82 may also be removed if so desired. The bucket may be dumped by elevatingthe free end of the boom 18 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, and then operating the lever 73 in the manner before described. In this connection it should be noted that the bucket may be dumped at any of its various positions of movement on the boom without the use of cumbersome trip ropes or cables which become tangled and cause a great deal of trouble. The dirt is dumped at any desired position around the truck 11, inasmuch as the platform 12 is pivotally mounted thereon and is operated in the usual manner.

The member 24 is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm 25, so arranged that the forward end of the carriage 30 may travel beneath the pulley 26 and there by increase the operating stroke of the bucket.

In Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown the cable 49 wound about the drum 17, each end of the cable being attached to the carriage 30 to mechanically operate the carriage in either direction. By using a reversible drum, a drum which operates only in one direction might be substituted for the reversible drum, in which case one end of the cable is attached to the drum and the opposite end to the forward end of the carriage, extending over the pulley 48, the carr'age being returned to the inner end of the boom 18 by gravity while the said boom is in the inclined position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a skimmer boom, a bucket carriage supported on said boom and adapted to move longitudinally of said boom, said carriage having a bottom plate provided with an opening, a rock shaft pivotally supported to and longitudinally of said boom, a pair of spaced bearing members adapted to travel on said rock shaft, a collar slidably mounted on said rock shaft and adapted to be rotated by said rock shaft, said collar having a downwardly projecting arm, a latch bar supported transversely on top surface of said bottom plate having one end projecting over said opening, means for pivotally connecting said latch bar with said downwardly projecting arm, yieldable means for retaining said latch bar at its inner limit of movement, and means for imparting a rocking movement to said shaft.

2. In combination, a skimmer boom, a bucket carriage supported on said boom and .adapted to move longitudinally of said boom, said carriage having a bottom plate provided with an opening, a rock shaft pivotally supported to and longitudinally of said boom, a pair of spaced bearing members adapted to travel on said rock shaft, a collar slidably mounted on said rock shaft and adapted to be rotated by said rock shaft, said collar having a downwardly projecting arm, a latch. bar supported transversely on the top surface of said bottom plate having one end projecting over said opening, means for pivotally con necting said latch bar with said downwardly projecting arm, yieldable means for retaining said latch bar at its inner limit of movement, means for imparting a rocking movement to said shaft, a pivoted bucket member carried by said carriage, and means for supporting said bucket in its closed position, said means bein adapted to project upwardly through said opening and to engage said latch bar.

3. In combination, a skimmer boom, a bucket carriage supported on said boom and adapted to move longitudinally of said boom, said carriage having a bottom plate provided with an opening, a rock shaft pivotally supported to and longitudinally of said boom, a pair of spaced bearing members adapted to travel on said rock shaft, a collar slidably mounted on said rock shaft and adapted to be rotated by said rock shaft, said collar hav ing a downwardly projecting arm, a latch bar supported transversely on the top surface off said bottom plate 11 swing one end projecting'over said openin g, means for pivotally connecting said latch bar with said downwardly projecting arm, yieldable means for retaining said latch bar at its inner limit of movement, means fior imparting it rocking movement to said shaft, :1 pivoted buclcet member carried by said carriage, and means for supporting said bucket in its closed position, said means being adapted to project upwardly through said opening and to engage said latch bit-'1', the last said means 'l )eing:;1djnstably connected with said bucket. Des Monies Iowa, July 19, 1927.

GEORGE T. RONK. 

